A Boston-based federal agent is facing criminal charges after an alleged late-night assault on a juvenile girl inside a Mattapan home, according to court records. The defendant, 39-year-old Leonel Ledesma, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and walked out of court on personal recognizance.
Arraignment And Police Account
Ledesma appeared Friday in Dorchester Municipal Court, where he was arraigned on one felony count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery, court records state.
Boston police were called to a residence on Oakridge Street around 11:24 p.m. after an argument was reported. According to a police report filed in court, the juvenile girl, whose age and relationship to the couple were redacted, told officers that Ledesma grabbed her phone, slammed it on a table, and then flipped a table that struck her leg.
Officers reported seeing minor bruising, and the juvenile was transported to Boston Children's Hospital for evaluation, records say. The girl's mother, who was not present, planned to fly to Boston from San Diego.
Ledesma and his wife, Yessica, told officers they are both federal agents and denied any physical contact with the girl. Ledesma's employer field was left blank on the booking sheet, and police identified him as the "dominant aggressor," according to The Boston Globe.
Legal Context
Under Massachusetts law, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon is a felony offense governed by M.G.L. c. 265, § 15A. The statute covers both the use of weapons and conduct that results in injury, according to the Massachusetts General Court. Penalties depend on the specific subsection charged and the level of injury involved.
Cases that begin in municipal court, such as Ledesma's, can be prosecuted in higher courts depending on how prosecutors choose to proceed. With a not guilty plea now on the record, the matter enters the pretrial phase within Boston's municipal court system.
What's Next
With Ledesma released on personal recognizance, upcoming hearings and filings in Dorchester Municipal Court will dictate the next steps in the case. Any further developments, including potential comment or action from a federal employer, are expected to surface through future court documents.
